Lessons In TR

While looking up ideas for a post about ceremonies in your lesson program, I came across ideas for horse birthdays and realized that making birthday cakes and treats for horses is a great way to practice motor skills, following directions, hand-eye coordination, as well as just have fun! So here are some recipes I want to share because most of them 1) look easy with no baking, 2) have few ingredients, and 3) include actions that incorporate a variety of motor skills such as mixing, twisting, poking, placing, and twisting. (I’m sorry if there’s a more correct terminology that I don’t know!) I have not personally tried any of these, but they’re all from the internet or this book I have “The Ultimate Guide To Pampering Your Horse” which is compiled from contributors, so someone’s made them and liked them enough to share! Obviously some of the ingredients will have to be prepared ahead of time; you know how much you need to do or let your client do to get the most benefit while also respecting time!

Enjoy!

Horse Birthday & Treat Recipes for Fine Motor Skills

Horse Birthday Cake

Ingredients:

• 4 cups sweet feed or oats
• 1 cups Molasses or honey
• 1 cup carrot, grated
• 1 apple, sliced
• Carrots cut into carrot sticks for the candles

Directions:

1. Mix the honey(or molasses) and the sweet feed (or oats) and grated carrot in a big bowl.
2. When mixed fully together, place it on a plate and shape into a birthday cake or carrot.
3. Use the Carrot sticks as candles and decorate with the rest of the cake with the apples and carrots.

Birthday Cake Surprise

Take a hay bale or flakes and wedge it against the stall or fence on two sides. Pour grain over the top so it trickles down into the hay and stick carrots upright like candles. If it’s a bale, cut the twine carefully and take it off so the bale doesn’t fall apart. Enjoy watching! (If this is in the paddock, each horse may need to get one so they don’t fight).

Or alternately, take 3 flakes and inset apples, carrots, alfalfa cubes and treats between the layers. For example, put a flake on the ground. Top it with cut yellow apples. Put a flake on top. Top it with cut red apples. Put another flake on top, and top it with cut carrots.

Baked Sweet Feed Cake

Ingredients:

• 2-3 cups sweet feed
• 2-3 cups bran
• ½ cup flour
• 2 apples, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 3 cups molasses
• ½ cup water
• Peppermints

Instructions:

“Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease a 13×9 inch cake pan and set aside. Mix ingredients together, and add more bran if necessary to give mixture a stiff consistency. Spread out into a cake pan and cook for 25-40 minutes. Immediately top with peppermints, allowing the heat of the cake to melt them. Serve cool. …It makes the house smell so nice when it’s cooking”

Twisted Apple Peel Party Favors

(From “The Ultimate Guide To Pampering Your Horse”)

Ingredients:

• Peels from apples
• Carrots
• Green carrot tops
• Confectionery sugar

Instructions:

“Peel apples to get at least two long peels from each apple. Wrap the peels around the carrots like a candy cane. Use a toothpick to hold the peels in place temporarily. Then, tie a long piece of green carrot top (or parsley) around each end of the carrot to keep the peels in place and remove the toothpicks. Dust with sugar and serve immediately.”

“Don’t skimp on service. Arrange treats on a decorative platter and butler them to deserving horses (or owners) who may just pick off a treat!”

Carrot Raisin Sticks Party Favors

(From “The Ultimate Guide To Pampering Your Horse”)

Ingredients:

• Molasses
• Carrots, halved
• Raisins

Instructions:

“Pour molasses into a bowl. Dip pieces of carrot into molasses and coat completely. Stick raisins to the carrots and serve.” Or roll it in the raisins?

Horse Cookies Recipe

(From BEST Homemade Horse Treat Recipe {Printable} – Savvy Horsewoman)

I like this recipe because you can choose any of the ingredients and it will work out, she says! She also mentions ingredients with added benefits to promote a shiny coat, healthy gut and digestible energy. She mentions Coconut Oil for Horses, Apple Cider Vinegar for Horses, Chia Seeds for Horses, and Himalayan Salt for Horses.

Ingredients – any combination of the following:

• Rolled Oats
• Whole Oats
• Whole Wheat Flour
• Molasses
• Apples
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Carrots
• Chia Seeds
• Apple Sauce
• Brown Sugar
• Sugar
• Peanut Butter
• Crushed Peppermints (or Candy Canes)
• Cinnamon
• Salt (I use Himalayan Salt)
• Oil (I use Coconut Oil)

She mentions some ingredients she would not use as they could be toxic in large amounts:

• Chocolate
• Milk
• Maple Syrup
• Cherries
• Rhubarb
• Peaches

Instructions:

1. Mix your chosen ingredients together
2. The mix should be wet enough to form into balls but not soupy. Form balls on baking sheet.
3. Bake at around 350 until they’re slightly browned
4. Store in an airtight container

For actual recipe ideas see the second half of the post: BEST Homemade Horse Treat Recipe

For another list of horse cookie recipes see: Horse Cookie Recipes

Do you have any favorite horse treat recipes to share? Leave a comment!

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Note: This is not professional advice, this is a blog. I am not liable for what you do with or how you use this information. The activities explained in this blog may not be fit for every rider, riding instructor, or riding center depending on their current condition and resources. Use your best personal judgement! If you would like to contribute an activity or article, please contact me here, I would love to hear from you!